EP.68 19-2.The Difference Between a Guard Dog and a Wolf
***
The spectator seats of the Grand Hearts Academia’s grade examination.
“Oh, our junior is good at using magic too.”
“Huh..? I thought you couldn’t use magic, Helmet?”
“Not magic.”
Phine’s sharp eyes were fully focused on Licht’s match. A sword that summoned cobalt-colored rain—different from Kainel’s weapon.
‘It doesn’t seem like he’s using magic.’
Dennis’ comment about Licht’s circuits being twisted came to mind. Plus, when she held his hand last time, she had confirmed it. This man had a body incapable of using magic.
“…Interesting.”
Her wolf ears twitched inside her glass helmet. This mysterious ability was enough to pique the curiosity of the inquisitive princess.
The ability to transform into water droplets and move within the rain.
It allowed him to evade physical attacks and enabled a highly versatile form of spatial movement.
“Then, our junior must’ve disappeared and returned with that, huh?”
“Looks like it, Nex. It’s probably at least artifact-level, right?”
“Something’s off.”
Artifacts were crafted by gods. However, it didn’t seem like any of the six gods of this world had created it. Even masterpieces forged by humans relied on mana in some form.
“What do you mean by that, Mardol?”
At this, the red-haired magician Ariel turned to Phine and asked. To anyone, it would seem like something purely within the domain of magic. The elf tilted her head in confusion.
“It has no mana.”
She placed a hand over her chest as she spoke. Even her glass armor was linked to the mana in her heart to be donned or removed.
Licht wouldn’t be able to use it. Where in the world had he gone during his disappearance, and what had he gained? When they reunited, she remembered that all the trees had been broken.
Something about him was subtly different. He knew the Drake-style’s weakness of requiring preparatory movements and switched weapons before any gaps appeared.
‘What would I need to do to defeat Licht as he is now?’
Anyway, the Dragon Heart was hers to win and give to Licht if she wanted. At this point, she became curious about seeing the man’s full capabilities.
Her tail perked up inside her armor, fueled by her competitive spirit, and her golden eyes gleamed.
***
After the semifinals ended, I was speaking with Kainel at the swordsmanship training grounds.
“…So, Licht, what did you learn that lets you summon a sword like that?”
“It’s something similar to mana, but different.”
The mana core was in the heart, while the dantian was located below it. Even if I tried to explain, there was no way people here could understand martial arts concepts.
Heavenly Demon Baek Mokryeon and Dennis had similar settings as individuals from another world.
“Let’s just say it’s akin to black magic… Ah-choo.”
Why was I suddenly feeling a chill? Could it be that my chastity was constantly under threat because of the princess? I shivered at the thought. Come to think of it, I had far too many interactions with her.
“Um, Kainel.”
“What is it, Licht?”
“What do you think about Mardol… Mr Mardol being a woman?”
I asked the protagonist of for his opinion on her. Surely, I wasn’t the only one who had missed the fact about her gender, right?
“Isn’t it obvious she’s a girl? Sure, with her voice, armor, and height, you might think otherwise… but I don’t really stick to stereotypes.”
“…What?”
“I’ve always felt it instinctively. Plus, when you see how she talks with Ariel, you probably had some idea too, didn’t you?”
“…”
I hadn’t noticed at all. Caught up in my memories of the Nameless Saintess, I kept overlooking crucial points. To think I’d lose to this golden retriever in terms of awareness. I pressed a hand to the forehead of my helmet.
“Then, the reason you sent me and Mardol alone to the training ground last time was…”
“Back then, I just wanted to help you look for that Nameless Saintess or whoever.”
“…Thank you, Kainel.”
“Anyone can tell that Mardol is someone important.”
He swung his holy sword, and this time, a restrained Shine Strike was unleashed. At this rate, he’d soon be flying around with Icarus as described in the setting book.
‘The detail in the settings… Kainel has sharp intuition.’
I’d forgotten about that. Just as Ariel, despite being a tsundere, was sharp-witted, it made sense that her counterpart would have complementary traits.
“…Do I seem close with Mardol?”
“Who knows? Probably, right? You’ve already held hands and hugged….”
“Stop it.”
“Hahaha! Finally, I get to take revenge for all the times you teased me about Ariel, Licht.”
Kainel smiled at me with a cat-like grin. It seemed he still hadn’t let go of the humiliation he felt during the carriage incident.
“Cut it out. I already—”
“Have someone you like, yeah, I know.”
The hero spoke with a serious demeanor. I couldn’t understand why someone like him, so composed and confident, was so inept in his own romantic affairs. He was probably afraid of confessing and ruining the current relationship.
“…I get it. I’m the same way.”
“So, you’re saying it’s the kind of love where you can’t approach the person?”
“Yeah. Even though I stopped running away from my feelings thanks to you, elves are a long-lived race, and I’m a hero.”
Kainel lowered his head, continuing to speak. His sorrowful eyes gazed at the Holy Sword of Light as he unburdened himself.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay by Ariel’s side. I won’t deny my feelings anymore, but….”
He and I both sighed in unison. So this was why he wasn’t in a relationship yet. There were still complications. With Knight Heart five years away, perhaps they’d get together by then.
‘Our saintess glaring at me in , saying she’d miss her chance at marriage…’
Now that I thought about it, wasn’t she older than me? She had always exuded a mature aura.
Her name was unknown, her background a mystery, and her age unclear. Officially, she only existed as a saintess. She had no one, a loner through and through.
Happiness had always seemed distant for her.
“Maybe that’ll be resolved if you defeat the Demon Lord.”
“What do you mean by that, Licht?”
I had given everything, body and soul, for her sake. I thought that defeating all the Demon Lords would lead to a happy ending, so I gave it my all.
“…If there are no Demon Lords, then heroes and saintesses aren’t really necessary, are they?”
“Like Magic Hat? Fair point. Thanks for the encouragement.”
He chuckled lightly. It probably seemed absurd that two mere academy students were having such a weighty discussion.
“…Well, you’ll find out someday.”
“You talk like you know the future or something….”
“Kainel?”
At that moment, footsteps echoed through the training ground, signaling someone’s presence.
“Mardol… Mardol?”
“…Huh?”
The glass-armored knight had appeared in the swordsmanship training ground. I froze instinctively. How did she know to come here? Surely, she wasn’t here to stop me from thinking about the saintess again.
I addressed Mardol as she approached me, her title shifting from “Miss” to “Ms.,” which only made her more cautious as she stopped closing the distance.
“Ms. Mardol, are you a woman by any chance?”
“…”
It was fastest to ask directly. If the princess, the main heroine of , was showing interest in me, I needed to cut it off here and now.
“Please answer me. This is important to me.”
“…No. Licht.”
The glass knight stayed silent before replying. Her golden wolf-like eyes gleamed through her helmet. Black and white—two knights, opposites in nature, gauging one another.
“Let it go, Licht. Mardol must have her reasons,” Kainel intervened.
“…Even so, Kainel.”
The blonde hero stepped between us, stopping me. If she really was a woman, I needed to keep my distance. Her reaction, like someone whose cover had been blown, only confirmed my suspicion.
“Lying is wrong, Miss Mardol….”
“Then what about you, Licht?”
“…What?”
She asked me directly, her golden eyes glinting as if she already knew something.
“…You lie too, don’t you?”
Lowering her head, she spoke cautiously. Her dejected demeanor tugged at my conscience.
‘Could she suspect that I’m the hero?’
From her perspective, I was someone who had once fallen into corruption as the Demon Lord. If Emperor Roque ever found out, I’d either vanish into the gallows or—
‘Be dragged off by inquisitors….’
I instinctively stepped back. After all, I had lied countless times and even owed her for teaching me swordsmanship.
“There are things I can’t talk about, Licht.”
“You’re right. That was my mistake. I’m sorry.”
Thankfully, Mardol was kind. If it were anyone else, I might already be branded as a Demon Lord and have my face plastered across wanted posters throughout the empire.
‘I should thank Dennis for covering for me.’
Ever since the incident with Magic Hat, I hadn’t faced suspicion or been pursued for my connections to the Hero Church.
All of that was thanks to her consideration. Why had I been so impatient to confirm this?
“…I look forward to the finals, Licht.”
“Understood.”
Her words were curt, and she turned her back to leave as if fleeing the scene. The glass knight seemed deflated, perhaps from having her identity probed.
“You went too far,” Kainel reprimanded me.
“…”
If it came to this, the only way to confirm her gender in the finals would be to shatter her armor and call it an accident during combat.
I wasn’t entirely confident that my fake holy sword could destroy a true masterpiece, but—
“…I’ll have to verify it myself.”
If I wanted to break this flag with Mardol, this was the way to do it. Even if it meant repaying her kindness with betrayal, my saintess was my priority.
Why did she always show up whenever I tried to think about her?
Surely, breaking a bit of armor wouldn’t result in her trying to kill me. If it would, I’d have already died back when I walked the Fallen Route.